What is the French online gambling regulator?
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Online gambling in France is regulated by ANJ (Autorité Nationale des Jeux), which replaced ARJEL in 2020. ANJ oversees online sports betting, horse race betting, and online poker. Classic casino games like slots and blackjack remain banned for online operators targeting French residents.
What is allowed online in France
Licensed operators in France can offer online sports betting, horse racing, and poker. Online casino games (slots, roulette, blackjack, baccarat) are not part of the licensed market for French residents under current law. This is a significant restriction compared to markets like the UK and Malta. French gambling law has been debated but as of 2024, casino games remain outside the licensed online framework.
Accessing casino games from France
French players often access offshore casinos to play slots and table games. ANJ publishes a list of blocked unlicensed operators and has blocking orders executed by French ISPs. Players accessing blocked sites via VPN do so in a legal grey area. ANJ is focused on operator enforcement rather than individual player prosecutions.
Ben Barber got into the gambling industry through the poker rooms of London in the early 2000s. After building up a solid grounding in casino, sports betting and poker, he made the move to Malta where he spent close to a decade writing for some of the biggest affiliate networks in the region. A few years ago he relocated to Bali, which shifted his focus toward website strategy and affiliate marketing. The casino side never really left, though. He still writes reviews, how-to guides and in-depth pieces on everything from slots and live dealer tables to crypto casinos and sweepstakes sites. His approach is fact-first: help players understand how online gambling actually works before they deposit a cent.